Peter and Max is a standalone novel by the author of the Fables comic-book series about Peter Piper and his brother Max, traveling musicians who live in the land of Hesse:

They are staying with their friends the Peeps when Hesse is invaded by the emperor’s goblin troops. The families flee for the town of Hamelin through the black forest, but soon are separated when Max’s jealousy of Peter takes a serious turn.

The novel alternates between modern time and the past as Peter and Max take separate but always intertwined paths. It’s set before the Fables/Empire war in the series’ time line. Both stories have fierce momentum that drive the past and present stories to a satisfying conclusion. The novel is well illustrated by Leialoha in black ink, which adds to the storybook feeling, as does the violent content, consistent with fables of old.

I found this a great addition to the Fables oeuvre, with many takes on legends involving Peter, pipers, and the Peeps. It would also be good for those unfamiliar to the Fables comic-book series, as an introduction to the series, especially for those not yet familiar with the complex literary and visual joys of the comic-book medium. Highly recommended. ( )

Peter & Max is a story of brother rivalry, fairy tales, and adventure. The two brothers are Peter and Max Piper. These fairy tales are taken, used as a base, and then expanded on expertly. When the story begins, Peter is an exile (as are all folk tale figures) in current day New York. Simultaneously occurring with his present day story is the story of how it all began.

Peter & Max is a supplementary or tie-in novel to the Fables graphic novel series. Both the novel and the graphic novels are written by Bill Willingham. The author notes that the novel is "autonomous and self-reliant" and I have to agree--mostly. Now, I say "mostly" because Peter & Max is a story completely unto itself, but can seem a bit rushed or thin in areas. I assume this is because those areas are fleshed out fully in the graphic novels--and the very idea has me wanting to get my hands on that series.

Also, visually speaking, Peter & Max benefits from coming from a long line of comic books. Not only is the cover gorgeous (because it is), but the book is filled with beautiful illustrations. Apparently, the artist is the same who does the work for the graphic novels: Steve Leialoha.

The plot of Peter & Max is not overly complex. In fact, I could go as far as saying that it's pretty simple. Where this might be a problem in other novels, though, Willingham counteracts by carrying two story lines at once: the past and present. The two story lines intertwine in a way that reveals just the right amount of information at the right time. Truly it's well done. The only problem in the writing of plot is that I really wanted more detail and time spent on certain things, but they instead--like in a graphic novel--went plunging onwards without the extra prose devoted to the instance.

The story choice is interesting. The characters are minor figures of folk lore: Peter Piper and the Pied Piper. And yet, the ambiguous and limited nature of the lore allowed for the author to make a completely unique and interesting tale of the two. In fact, I became so wrapped up in the two brothers that I was absolutely frustrated with the depth of the novel: I wanted more. Perhaps, I'll find what I wanted if I read the graphic novels. However, really there should have been more within the novel itself (it is touted as a stand alone), so I will chalk that up as a disappointment. And yet, I can't find it in myself to hold those small disappointments against Peter & Max too harshly, because any novel so entertaining and leaving me wanting more is certainly worth recommending.

And who knows, perhaps I'll get to those graphic novels after all. ( )

I've never read the Fables graphic novels, but I'm going to have to hunt them down now! This adult fantasy novel is a twisted fairy tale but is a stand-alone novel in the graphic novel series world.

Everyone has heard of Peter Piper, but Willingham can really tell his tale. Peter and his brother Max are the sons of a traveling piper, but the invasion of the Empire leads them to run away to the Black Forest. Terrible things happen there. Max is selfish and downright evil, while Peter is everything bright and good. Each chapter switches from modern-day Peter and Max to childhood Peter and Max, and the two tales come together in quite the climax. The beautiful dark illustrations by Steve Leialoha help tell the tale and make me want to read the rest of their graphic novels. Anyone who can make Peter Piper marry Bo Peep and have them both be trained assassins is an awesome author in my eyes! ( )

As a fan of the comic series I had high hopes for this book. Further expanding the Fables legacy with a closer look at the dysfunctional Piper family.

Peter Piper all grown up now and married to Bo Peep learns that his evil brother Max (Pied Piper) is back in the world of the mundy's and set out to resolve their argument once and forever.

It is an breezy enjoyable read that mixes folklore with some modern day settings as it flits from past to present telling the story of how the Piper brothers got to be such adversaries.

Highly recommended. ( )

I've never read the "fables" series, but this book has made me a fan. It is an easy and entertaining read. I enjoyed reading a book that included well-known childhood fairy tale characters like Snow White and Little Bo Peep. In this story, the author focuses on the adversarial relationship between Peter Piper and his brother Max. He does a wonderful job of keeping the reader interested and engaged. I was entertained from beginning to end. I look forward to reading other fable stories. ( )